Japeth Ojijo’s interest in promoting inclusive governance at the local level began to spark while growing up and noticing many aspects of social injustice happening in his community. He laments a lack of citizen centered policymaking that resulted in poor service delivery to the citizens stemming from lack of public participation and accountability from the local leadership.
Today, the resolve to champion social justice has been demonstrated through his program coordinator’s role at the Integrated Development Facility (IDF). He prides himself in this position and serves with a strong commitment to promoting inclusive governance, enhancing public participation, and ensuring accountability in public service within Homa Bay County. His passion lies in advocating for the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in governance processes where he credits the aspect of dialogue in helping him build consensus and bridge that gap.
It is IDF’s partnership with Uraia Trust that enabled Japeth to attend the People Dialogue Festival (PDF) for the last three editions. “Attending PDF since 2023 has been a transformative experience for me and for the work we do at the IDF in Homa Bay County,” he says.Regarding the networking and partnership avenue that PDF provides, he adds that “the festival has provided a powerful and inclusive platform where grassroots voices like mine- focused on governance, accountability, and citizen empowerment- can engage meaningfully with political leaders, civil society actors, and development partners.”
It is from citizen centered insights gained at the SDGs village where he was inspired and resolved to act in reinforcing his organization’s advocacy efforts, especially its ongoing push for the completion and reopening of Rachuonyo Hospital. “PDF provided an avenue to learn how citizens in other counties are organizing and shaping public policy which energized our belief in bottom-up engagement and the transformative power of sustained civic action,” says Japheth. “Through the PDF, I’ve connected with passionate advocates and drawn practical insights that have significantly strengthened our social accountability work,” he continues.
Advocacy efforts have borne fruit by winning IDF the prestigious Ndovu Award from the Council of Governors in 2023. The award was in recognition of the organization’s excellence in promoting structured citizen engagement in democratic governance in Homa Bay County. Sessions on transparency and inclusive governance in the SDGs Village have refined our methodology for conducting social accountability audits of Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLoCCA) funded water projects. Today, these audits are more participatory, data-driven, and impactful in meaningful ways.
Most notably, the exposure at PDF’s SDG village has enriched our participation in the SDG Voluntary Local Review (VLR) process in Homa Bay County. IDF has drawn valuable lessons from counties and civil society organizations that were ahead of us. Our commitment to structured social accountability, civic participation, and institutional collaboration led to IDF being named Second Runners-Up in the 2024 Annual SDGs Awards. IDFs Voluntary Review Report was further incorporated into the national CSO report presented at the High-Level Political Forum in New York in July 2024, a proud milestone for us and the communities we serve.
These experiences have directly shaped the development of the Citizen County SDG Indicator Handbook, a practical tool designed to empower residents to monitor the implementation of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) through an SDG lens.
For Japheth, PDF is more than a festival, it is a vibrant learning space, a hub for networking, and a launchpad for action that he looks forward to each new edition with renewed energy and purpose. “SDGs Village conversation has deepened his resolve and equipped him with the tools to advocate for accountable, inclusive, and sustainable development in Homa Bay County,” he concludes.